Individual and organisational leadership: the shared approach

Purpose - this paper focuses on reducing the margin for leadership error in meeting strategic aims by forming a more robust approach to developing a broader and more reliable set of leadership skills to provide a greater likelihood of strategic alignment between corporate and individual need, increasing both of their respective shelve lives.

The role of wisdom in organisational leadership

This thesis begins with a review of the literature on wisdom models, theories of wise leadership, and existing wisdom measures. It continues with a review of how the concept of wisdom may add value to existing leadership models, highlighting the need to empirically identify the characteristics of wise leaders and develop a wise leadership measure. A nomological framework for wise leadership is then presented. Based on a review of the wisdom and leadership paradigms, a mixed-methods research design is described for three studies to define the characteristics of wise leadership in organisations; identify specific leadership challenges that might require wise responses; and to develop the wise leadership measure comprising of vignettes. The first study involves critical incident interviews with 26 nominated wise leaders and 23 of their nominators, which led to the identification of nine wise leadership dimensions which include Strong Ethical Code, Strong Judgement, Optimising Positive Outcomes, Managing Uncertainty, Strong Legacy, Leading with Purpose, Humanity, Humility, and Self-Awareness. The second study includes critical incident interviews with 20 leaders about organisational challenges associated with the nine dimensions, to elucidate the wise leadership measure. The third study includes the design of 45 vignettes based on organisational challenges that measure the nine wise leadership dimensions. The measure is then administered to 250 organisational leaders to establish its construct validity, leading to the selection of 18 vignettes forming the final wise leadership measure. Theoretical, methodological and practical implications of this research are then discussed with recommendations for future research.

The complexity of leadership and organisations

The thesis contributes to the evolving process of moving the study of Complexity from the arena of metaphor to something real and operational. Acknowledging this phenomenon ultimately changes the underlying assumptions made about working environments and leadership; organisations are dynamic and so should their leaders be. Dynamic leaders are behaviourally complex. Behavioural Complexity is a product of behavioural repertoire - range of behaviours; and behavioural differentiation - where effective leaders apply appropriate behaviour to the demands of the situation. Behavioural Complexity was operationalised using the Competing Values Framework (CVF). The CVF is a measure that captures the extent to which leaders demonstrate four behaviours on four quadrants: Control, Compete, Collaborate and Create, which are argued to be critical to all types of organisational leadership. The results provide evidence to suggest Behavioural Complexity is an enabler of leadership effectiveness; Organisational Complexity (captured using a new measure developed in the thesis) moderates Behavioural Complexity and leadership effectiveness; and leadership training supports Behavioural Complexity in contributing to leadership effectiveness. Most definitions of leadership come down to changing people’s behaviour. Such definitions have contributed to a popularity of focus in leadership research intent on exploring how to elicit change in others when maybe some of the popularity of attention should have been on eliciting change in the leader them self. It is hoped that this research will provoke interest into the factors that cause behavioural change in leaders that in turn enable leadership effectiveness and in doing so contribute to a better understanding of leadership in organisations.

O Contributo dos Sistemas de Informação para a Eficácia da Liderança e para a Mudança do Comportamento Organizacional

O presente trabalho debruça-se sobre os constructos da liderança e do comportamento de auto-eficácia da liderança nas organizações. Reflecte-se sobre a importância dos sistemas de informação no clima organizacional, com efeitos sobre a eficácia na liderança. Trata-se de uma perspetiva pertinente na conjuntura organizacional atual, dado que incide sobre valores patrimoniais intangíveis que, quando dinamizados, dão suporte à performance organizacional. A nossa preocupação central é a auto-eficácia. Através dela pretende-se melhorar a eficiência organizacional, porque minimiza prejuízos e desperdícios. Também se relaciona a eficácia com o desempenho da liderança organizacional e com o capital ‘confiança’. Dessa forma, os novos caminhos passam por auscultar a percepção dos colaboradores sobre a importância da cultura organizacional face ao desempenho e à eficácia de longo prazo na organização. Com a presente reflexão, evidencia-se que a espiritualidade no local de trabalho é um factor de apoio ao desenvolvimento holístico dos colaboradores. Fica sublinhado que é fundamental que os líderes tenham noção e consciência de “si” e dos seus papéis, e como estes se reflectem no seu comportamento quotidiano na organização. O estudo assenta num trabalho de campo, elaborado numa organização intensiva em informação e que presta serviços de consultoria e informática. Os resultados apurados tentam dizer que, globalmente, no estudo longitudinal das hetero-percepções dos gestores directos e indirectos, o gap cultural diminuiu em todas as dimensões relativas às competências dos papéis, sendo vital destacar o quadrante designado por Apoio. As hetero-percepções dos gestores directos demonstram que o menor gap cultural mantem-se no quadrante de Objectivos Racionais e Competir no modelo de CVF, caracterizado por uma cultura de mercado, e relacionado com a fase da Combinação no modelo de SECI (processos que fomentam os relacionamentos e intercâmbios informais – conversão do conhecimento explícito para o explícito). Enquanto que o maior gap cultural reside no quadrante Apoio e Colaborar no modelo CVF, relacionado com a fase da Socialização no modelo de SECI (processos que fomentam os relacionamentos e intercâmbios informais – conhecimento tácito para tácito). Como o gap cultural diminuiu em todas as dimensões, pode realçar uma melhoria das percepções do desempenho organizacional. Contudo, um resultado inesperado está associado ao quadrante Apoio com a cultura de clã, uma vez que são os gestores indirectos na empresa em estudo que fomentam esta cultura, e não os gestores directos, conforme seria desejável. Um resultado favorável para o estudo da auto-eficácia da liderança demonstra que as médias são mais elevadas para atributos de Gestão e Resolução de Problemas. Os resultados que não corresponderam às expectativas iniciais estão associados às médias baixas relativamente aos atributos Sociais/de Comunicação, o que pode ser uma debilidade porque seria desejável que a equipa de gestão tivesse maior sensibilidade perante os capitais sociais, emocionais e espirituais, os quais estão relacionados com estes atributos.

Roles of leadership in complex environments : Enhancing Knowledge Flows in Organisational Constellations through Practice-Based Innovation Processes

Global challenges, complexity and continuous uncertainty demand development of leadership approaches, employees and multi-organisation constellations. Current leadership theories do not sufficiently address the needs of complex business environments. First of all, before successful leadership models can be applied in practice, leadership needs to shift from the industrial age to the knowledge era. Many leadership models still view leadership solely through the perspective of linear process thinking. In addition, there is not enough knowledge or experience in applying these newer models in practice. Leadership theories continue to be based on the assumption that leaders possess or have access to all the relevant knowledge and capabilities to decide future directions without external advice. In many companies, however, the workforce consists of skilled professionals whose work and related interfaces are so challenging that the leaders cannot grasp all the linked viewpoints and cross-impacts alone. One of the main objectives of this study is to understand how to support participants in organisations and their stakeholders to, through practice-based innovation processes, confront various environments. Another aim is to find effective ways of recognising and reacting to diverse contexts, so companies and other stakeholders are better able to link to knowledge flows and shared value creation processes in advancing joint value to their customers. The main research question of this dissertation is, then, to seek understanding of how to enhance leadership in complex environments. The dissertation can, on the whole, be characterised as a qualitative multiple-case study. The research questions and objectives were investigated through six studies published in international scientific journals. The main methods applied were interviews, action research and a survey. The empirical focus was on Finnish companies, and the research questions were examined in various organisations at the top levels (leaders and managers) and bottom levels (employees) in the context of collaboration between organisations and cooperation between case companies and their client organisations. However, the emphasis of the analysis is the internal and external aspects of organisations, which are conducted in practice-based innovation processes. The results of this study suggest that the Cynefin framework, complexity leadership theory and transformational leadership represent theoretical models applicable to developing leadership through practice-based innovation. In and of themselves, they all support confronting contemporary challenges, but an implementable method for organisations may be constructed by assimilating them into practice-based innovation processes. Recognition of diverse environments, their various contexts and roles in the activities and collaboration of organisations and their interest groups is ever-more important to achieving better interaction in which a strategic or formal status may be bypassed. In innovation processes, it is not necessarily the leader who is in possession of the essential knowledge; thus, it is the role of leadership to offer methods and arenas where different actors may generate advances. Enabling and supporting continuous interaction and integrated knowledge flows is of crucial importance, to achieve emergence of innovations in the activities of organisations and various forms of collaboration. The main contribution of this dissertation relates to applying these new conceptual models in practice. Empirical evidence on the relevance of different leadership roles in practice-based innovation processes in Finnish companies is another valuable contribution. Finally, the dissertation sheds light on the significance of combining complexity science with leadership and innovation theories in research.

Organisational politics: reconciling leadership's rational-emotional paradox

Purpose – Effective leadership action requires managers to harness power that is intrinsically political. This paper aims to study and characterise the political nature of a manager's behaviour when taking leadership action. Design/methodology/approach – The methodological approach is qualitative and examines three organisations over a three-year period when these entities experienced a major product failure. The paper analyses the actual managerial behaviour of managers and provides insight into the factors that most strongly influence the effectiveness of managers when taking leadership action. Findings – Political behaviour when taking leadership action can be conceptualised in terms of rationality and emotionality. In so doing, it can be clarified how behaviour must be modified to ensure that leadership action is consistently effective. Research limitations/implications – A case study of three multinational engineering companies engaged in the design, development and manufacturing of turbomachinery provides the platform for the research. The concepts presented in the paper will require validating in other organisations of different demographic profiles. Practical implications – The concepts presented and the implications discussed provide insight into the political nature of managerial behaviour when taking leadership action. The paper highlights the practical steps individual managers can embrace to ensure that their behaviour is appropriate to context, even under the most traumatic situations. Thus, the paper provides managers with a model that facilitates effective leadership action. Originality/value – This paper provides insight into how managers behaved in circumstances that mattered to them. Through immersion in events at the time they took place, the authors captured situations in which managers were under real pressure and, in so doing, avoided the bias inherent when interviewing a manager about past events. As such, the paper concludes that the political behaviour in which managers engage when taking leadership action is rooted in the reality of the adversity that the most capable managers have both experienced and overcome. This detailed study reports behaviour in a situation where managers' business and future prospects were in jeopardy. This paper identifies why some managers were able to use the experience positively, helping them to adopt politically intrinsic behaviour to facilitate effective leadership action.

Leadership and organisational outcomes in healthcare

This research examined to what extent and how leadership is related to organisational outcomes in healthcare. Based on the Job Demands-Resource model, a set of hypotheses was developed, which predicted that the effect of leadership on healthcare outcomes would be mediated by job design, employee engagement, work pressure, opportunity for involvement, and work-life balance. The research focused on the National Health Service (NHS) in England, and examined the relationships between senior leadership, first line supervisory leadership and outcomes. Three years of data (2008 – 2010) were gathered from four data sources: the NHS National Staff Survey, the NHS Inpatient Survey, the NHS Electronic Record, and the NHS Information Centre. The data were drawn from 390 healthcare organisations and over 285,000 staff annually for each of the three years. Parallel mediation regressions modelled both cross sectional and longitudinal designs. The findings revealed strong relationships between senior leadership and supervisor support respectively and job design, engagement, opportunity for involvement, and work-life balance, while senior leadership was also associated with work pressure. Except for job design, there were significant relationships between the mediating variables and the outcomes of patient satisfaction, employee job satisfaction, absenteeism, and turnover. Relative importance analysis showed that senior leadership accounted for significantly more variance in relationships with outcomes than supervisor support in the majority of models tested. Results are discussed in relation to theoretical and practical contributions. They suggest that leadership plays a significant role in organisational outcomes in healthcare and that previous research may have underestimated how influential senior leaders may be in relation to these outcomes. Moreover, the research suggests that leaders in healthcare may influence outcomes by the way they manage the work pressure, engagement, opportunity for involvement and work-life balance of those they lead.

The effects of Australian tall poppy attitudes on American value based leadership theory

A survey study of twenty-two Australian CEOs and their subordinates assessed relationships between Australian leader motives, Australian value based leader behaviour, subordinate tall poppy attitudes and subordinate commitment, effectiveness, motivation and satisfaction (CEMS). On the whole, the results showed general support for value based leadership processes. Subsequent regression analyses of the second main component of Value Based Leadership Theory, value based leader behaviour, revealed that the collectivistic, inspirational, integrity and visionary behaviour sub-scales of the construct were positively related with subordinate CEMS. Although the hypothesis that subordinate tall poppy attitudes would moderate value based leadership processes was not clearly supported, subsequent regression analyses found that subordinate tall poppy attitudes were negatively related with perceptions of value based leader behaviour and CEMS. These findings suggest complex relationships between the three constructs, and the proposed model for the Australian context is accordingly amended. Overall, the research supports the need to consider cultural-specific attitudes in management development.

Leadership in the Asian Century: Lessons from GLOBE

In this paper, based on the results of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) 61-nation study of culture and leadership, we present findings related to three ‘clusters’ of countries. These clusters are: (1) the ‘Anglo culture’ cluster (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, white South Africa, UK, and USA), the ‘Southern Asia’ cluster (Iran, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines), and the ‘Confucian Asia’ cluster (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan). Data from the GLOBE study, reporting middle managers’ perceptions of societal practices and values, and of the factors that facilitate and inhibit effective leadership will be compared across the three clusters. Results demonstrate that, despite differences in cultures, especially cultural values, perceptions of effective leadership vary substantially only in respect of the extent that participation is seen to facilitate leadership. In the Anglo cluster, participative leadership is seen as much more facilitative of leadership, than in either of the Asian clusters. Results are discussed in terms of effective leadership styles suitable for management in the twenty-first century, where Asian economies are likely to play a more dominant role than they have in recent history.

Leadership Attributes and Cultural Values in Australia and New Zealand Compared: An Initial Report Based on GLOBE Data.

This paper reports a comparative study of Australian and New Zealand leadership attributes, based on the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) program. Responses from 344 Australian managers and 184 New Zealand managers in three industries were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results supported some of the etic leadership dimensions identified in the GLOBE study, but also found some emic dimensions of leadership for each country. An interesting finding of the study was that the New Zealand data fitted the Australian model, but not vice versa, suggesting asymmetric perceptions of leadership in the two countries.

Emotional awareness and emotional intelligence in leadership teaching

Recent research has highlighted the importance of emotional awareness and emotional intelligence in organizations, and these topics are attracting increasing attention. In this article, the authors present the results of a preliminary classroom study in which emotion concepts were incorporated into an undergraduate leadership course. In the study, students completed self report and ability tests of emotional intelligence. The test results were compared with students' interest in emotions and their performance in the course assessment. Results showed that interest in and knowledge of emotional intelligence predicted team performance, whereas individual performance was related to emotional intelligence.